Supporting stand



July 25, 1939. (3, F, KRAEMER 2,167,483

SUPPORTING STAND Filed Oct. 28, 1938 .AJP

l Mur, @www l INVENTOR WITNESSES E Z 2 9/ i ATTORNEYS Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in supporting stands, particularly to an improved stand which may be used for supporting home moving picture projectors.

Amateur moving picture operators have considerable difficulty in finding suitable supporting means for their projectors. When a conventional type of table is employed spectators may not sit in front of the projector as they will interfere with the projection of the image. To overcome this difficulty operators frequently attempt to elevate the projector to a suitable level by means of books, boxes or the like which at best is inconvenient and clumsy and frequently does not provide a sufficiently firm support for the projector. Also, tables are usually not in the position where it is desired to operate the projector with the result that it is necessary to move the table and if the table is bulky or heavy this is not always practical and, under any circumstances, it results in great inconvenience both to the operator and spectators. Amateur operators also appreciate that frequently the tables they desire to use for supporting the projector is being used for some other purpose.

It is a principal ob-ject of this invention to overcome the diiiiculty heretofore encountered as outlined above and to provide an improved stand especially adapted for supporting a moving picture projector and which is of rm construction and may be of sufficient height to project the image above the head of spectators and which is light and collapsible so that it may be conveniently packed away or transported to any place where it is desired to use the projector.

A further object is the provision of an improved collapsible stand of the tripod type which is economical to manufacture, of attractive appearance, and which may be used for many different purposes.

For a fuller understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stand embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detailed view partly in section in the direction of the arrows on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a partially sectional view showing one of the legs from the rear thereof in the direction of the arrows on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view of one of the legs in collapsed position;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the lower platform showing the legs in cross section taken in the direction of the arrows on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of a portion of one of the legs showing one of the brackets employedfor supporting the lower stand. 5

My improved stand consists generally of an upper platform I0 and a lower platform I I which are detachably secured to a plurality of legs I2. The platforms and legs are formed of any desired strong material such as wood, metal, or 10 plastic material.

While the number of legs may be varied I prefer to provide the stand with three legs of simllar construction. The legs may be formed in one piece but are preferably formed of two sec- 15 tions I3 and I4 of similar length as shown in the accompanying drawing. In each leg, the two sections I3 and I4 are connected together at their ends by means of a hinge I5 attached to the outer surface of the sections so that they may be 20 folded or collapsed in the manner shown in Fig.

4. To releasably hold the legs in extended or assembled position I attach a metal strap I6 to the section I4 in some suitable manner as by means of a screw I1 so that it may pivot be- 25 tween releasing and engaging position with regard to the bolt I8 provided on the section I3 adjacent its upper end. To receive the bolt I8 strap I6 is provided with a slot I9 and to retain the strap in engaging position I preferably pro- 30 vide the bolt with a wing nut or thumbscrew 20.

If desired the lower end of each section I3 may be of reduced width as indicated at 2|.

Each of the sections I4 is provided with a bracket or angle iron 22 a short distance above 35 the lower end thereof and the bracket is provided with a slot 23 in the upper surface thereof to receive the downwardly depending tab 24 formed on the end of angle plate 25, which, in tiirn, is secured to the lower surface of platform 40 The platform II as shown is preferably generally rectangular in shape but is provided with two cutaway corners 26 so that the three legs I2 may be disposed around the platform in the 45 manner of a tripod as shown in the drawing with one of the legs engaging the forward edge of the platform and the other two legs engaging the cutaway corners 26. Three angle plates 25 are provided and they are positioned adjacent the center of the forward edge of the platform and adjacent the two cutaway corners 26 as shown so that the projecting tabs 24 of the respective angle plates may extend through the slots .23 formed in the brackets 22 on the legs. 55

In this way the platform I I is securely yet releasably attached to the legs.

The brackets 22 and angle plates 25 are so positioned and the legs I2 are preferably inclined at such an angle so as to tightly engage the edges of platform I I adjacent the upper surface thereof and rmly hold it in position. In this manner the platform cannot be accidently displaced when the stand is in use.

The upper platform I 0 is also detachably secured to the legs in an improved manner. Thus the upper end of section I4 of each leg is provided with a downwardly extending slot 2l providing bi. furcated ends 28 of a resilient character which may be compressed towards and away from each other. Projecting outwardly in opposite direc,- tions from the sides of the bifurcated ends 28 of each leg section I4 are the pivotal pins 29'which are adapted to engage in openings formed in the U-shaped brackets 3G secured to the under-surface of the platform I0. Three U-shaped brackets, one for each of the legs, are suitably secured to the under-surface of platform I!! and are positioned as shown, one adjacent the front edge of the platform and parallel to the said edge with the other two disposed at angles adjacent the rear of the platform so that the legs can extend downwardly in the manner of a tripod. To release a leg from platform Il] the ends 28 are compressed so that the pins 29 no longer engage the openings formed in bracket 30 permitting the leg to be withdrawn. Likewise to attach the leg to platform I0 the bifurcated end 28 is compressed and the pins are inserted through the openings in bracket 3D.

As a matter of convenience I have found it desirable to provide a hook. 3l adjacent the upper end of one of the legs on which the empty reel can be suspended when the moving picture projector is being threaded in the manner indicated at 32 in dotted lines in Fig. l. The hook 3l is preferably formed on the end of a plate 33 which is attached to only one of the bifurcated ends 28 as shown most clearly in Fig. 3 so as to permit the bifurcated ends 2B to be compressed when being attached to or released from the platform IIJ.

To use my device each of the three legs I2 is assembled by extending the two sections I3 and I4 and pivoting the strap I6 into engagement with bolt I8 and tightening wing nut 20. The leg with the hook formed thereon is then attached to platform I0 and to platform II at the front thereof. Thereafter the remaining two legs are attached rst to platform I I and then to platform I0. The leg having hook 3| secured thereto is preferably placed at the front of the stand in the manner shown. My stand may be used for many different purposes but as stated above is especially suited for supporting a moving picture projector. In using my device the projector is placed upon Ythe projector.

the top platform I Il in the manner indicated at 34 in dotted lines in Fig. l. The reels of moving pictures may be placed upon platform II and in this connection the new reels may be placed upon one side of the platform and the displayed reels may be placed upon the other side. When the machine is being threaded the empty reel 32 may conveniently be suspended on the hook 3| so as not to interfere with the threading operation. The legs of the stand should be of sufficient height so that spectators sitting in front of the projector will not interfere with the projected image.

It will be appreciated that the stand is of convenient size and can be shifted or transported without being collapsed to any desired position but nevertheless will afford proper support to It will also be appreciated that the stand may be conveniently disassembled and collapsed when not in use and that the respective parts thereof may be placed in a case or arranged compactly in a closet.

It will also be appreciated that while my improved stand accomplishes the several purposes as outlined above and is of sturdy strong construction it is nevertheless light in weight and economical to manufacture. It should be understood that many modifications may be made in the illustrated and described embodiment of my invention such as changing the number of legs or forming the legs in one piece rather than in two sections.

I claim: Y

A stand for supporting a moving picture projector or the like comprising three legs, each provided with a bifurcated end of a resilient character and having pivotal pins extending laterally from the two sides of the bifurcated ends, an upper platform provided with U-shaped brackets on its lower surface having openings therein to receive the pivotal pins on the bifurcated ends of the legs so as to releasably attach the legs to the upper platform, a lower platform and means for releasably attaching the lower platform to the legs a short distance beneath the upper platform comprising brackets attached to the legs and having substantially` horizontally disposed portions with slotted openings formed therein and angle irons attached to the lower platform and provided with tongues adapted to project through the slots in the brackets, the upper and lower o platforms and the attaching means for the legs being so arranged that when the stand is assembled the legs diverge from the top towards the bottom thereof so as to form a substantially triangular base of greater area than the platforms and so that the legs engage and exert pressure against the lower platform adjacent the upper surface thereof so as to rmly hold it in position.

CHARLES F. KRAEMER. 

